Fil-Canadian hockey star Matt Dumba signs one-year $3.9M deal with Arizona Coyotes
Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba controls the puck during an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, March 23, 2023, in Philadelphia. Dumba has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed yet. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Defenseman Matt Dumba has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday because the contract has not been signed yet.
Dumba played 10 seasons with Minnesota after the Wild selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft. He served as an alternate captain for the Wild the past two seasons, playing more of a shutdown role after being one of the NHL’s better two-way defensemen.
The 29—year-old had a 50-point season while playing all 82 games in 2017-18 has scored 20 points at least seven times. The Saskatchewan native had four goals and 14 assists in 79 games last season.
Dumba should give the Coyotes a huge boost on the blue line and provide veteran leadership on a young team. He won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2019-20, an award given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.
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Dumba will likely fill a top-four spot on a Coyotes blue line that will also include Sean Durzi, acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in an offseason trade for a 2024 second-round draft. Arizona also added Alex Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad and former Wild player Jason Zucker as the franchise rounds into the third year of a rebuilding project.
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